The aim of the symposium is to promote scientific exchange and allow scientists and clinicians working in Switzerland to come into contact with scientists residing abroad working on various aspects of skeletal muscle, from excitation contraction coupling, to the role of muscle as a regulator of metabolism, to changes occurring during disorders such as muscular dystrophy. In the past the symposium has been very well received and many basic scientists and clinicians working on skeletal muscle in Switzerland attended the Symposium. They particularly appreciated several aspects, among which the high quality of the invited speakers, the fact that no attendance fees were requested, a paperback reprint of the list of speakers and their abstracts as well as a list of attendees and their e-mail addresses was provided free to all attendees in order to promote networking and
contact information. Because of the interest raised by the Symposium and its success, we would like to organize the “Forth Basel symposium on skeletal muscle”, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday the 20th May 2010. The main aim of the symposium is to promote scientific collaborations, discussions and networking between the speakers (coming from Europe, Australia and the United States) and participants working on various aspects of neuromuscular disorders in Switzerland.